Southampton closing in on Villarreal forward

Nicolas Jackson looks set to move to the Premier League after Southampton yesterday made progress in their pursuit of the forward, as a bid of £18 million was accepted by Villarreal. The Spanish side, known as "the Yellow Submarines", are looking to sell some of their players to raise funds for transfer activity in the summer.

The Athletic have reported that the Saints are initially looking at a loan deal for the striker, but Villarreal want to sell the player on a permanent basis. The Saints' board is now ready to release funds to let the club add Nico Jackson to their squad. The Senegalese forward has so far played 24 games this season, scoring three goals with a further three assist contributions.

The youngster, who is comfortable player as a lone striker or as an attacking midfielder, arrived at Villarreal from Casa Sports in 2019, and spent some time playing for Villarreal's 'B' team before an eventual promotion to the first team squad. Since then, the 21-year-old has made his Senegal international debut.